New York Yankees utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa emerged as his team's lone bright spot in Thursday's blowout 10-2 home loss to the Seattle Mariners.
As noted by the Associated Press (h/t ESPN) and Max Goodman of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, Kiner-Falefa took the bump for mop-up duty in the top of the ninth inning and pitched a perfect frame before he blasted a two-run home run in the bottom half of the inning to ensure the Yankees wouldn't be shut out.
That round-tripper made Kiner-Falefa the first Yankees player since Lindy McDaniel in September 1972 to homer as a pitcher and the first Yankees player to go deep and pitch in the same game since Nick Swisher accomplished the feat in April 2009.
"Doing it twice in one week, I was just trying to go out there and have some fun," Kiner-Falefa said about pitching in lopsided contests. "I forgot about the at-bat. It came quick. I was just trying to get my swing off."
Kiner-Falefa embraced his utility role after rookie Anthony Volpe won the starting shortstop job ahead of Opening Day and began Friday slashing .237/.275/.362/.637 with four home runs and 17 RBI across 59 games this season. IKF was already no stranger to history-making accomplishments during the ongoing campaign. Earlier this month, he became the first Yankee to steal home during a game since Didi Gregorius did so back in August 2016:
Isiah Kiner-Falefa is the 1st Yankee since Didi Gregorius on 8/27/16 to steal home https://t.co/v9ga81lBtD
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) June 15, 2023
"I want to be one of the best bench players in the league," Kiner-Falefa said following Thursday's defeat. "Any opportunity I can be on the field, I just want to take advantage...I try to go out there and contribute any way I can."
Despite Kiner-Falefa's efforts, the third-place Yankees head into a home weekend series against the Texas Rangers trailing the first-place Tampa Bay Rays by nine-and-a-half games in the American League East standings. The Bronx Bombers did possess a wild-card playoff berth ahead of Friday's MLB action.
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